Conceived by Charles Eliot in the 1890s as a public parkland and urban lake, the Basin has yet to fulfill Eliot's vision for it. Once salt-water mud flats, the Basin was transformed in 1910 after James Jackson Storrow led the effort to dam the mouth of the Charles at what is now the Museum of Science. This was the original Charles River Dam, which stabilized the water level from Boston to Watertown, eliminating the mud flats, and creating what is now the Charles River Basin. This earlier dam was located beneath the Museum of Science. Later, the Warren Street Bridge was torn down to make way for a new dam, which was completed in 1910 at the Charlestown Bridge with the purpose of creating a fresh water river basin and river front park in Boston. Situated about 2,250 feet downstream of the old Charles River Dam, the new dam is operated and maintained by the Metropolitan District Commission. Today, the Charles River Dam and Locks Building sits adjacent to the lawns, playgrounds and additional urban artwork at the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Paul Revere Park. The area is known collectively as the Charles River Basin.

Not to be confused with the John F. Gilmore Bridge that runs along Charlestown Avenue. Constructed in 1989, this is also known as the North Washington Street Bridge, located along Boston's Freedom Trail, crosses Boston Harbor where it meets the Charles River, connecting the North End to Charlestown. An elevated rail line (Orange Line) used to run over the bridge, until it was dismantled in the 1970s. Adjacent to the Bridge, the Charles River Dam and locks system controls the water level in the Charles River basin and permits passage of recreational boats between the River and the Harbor. There is also a fish ladder, a structure to assist the natural migration of fish during the late spring migration season. It provides both pedestrian and auto access. Interpretive displays and periodic tours led by the Department of Conservation and Recreation describe the management history of the Charles River Basin, water quality improvements, and background on the dam and locks. Visitors can also create their own music by playing with the colorful, interactive bells designed by local artist Paul Matisse, or admire the nearby elegant Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.